A few months ago, when the FP bug first hit, I read this board avidly for advice on where/what to look for in the way of pens. The Hero pens were discussed widely, especially the Hero 100, 616, and other P51 knockoffs. Their low cost made them attractive but I didn't want to blindly order a Hero pen from an online seller. So being that I'm in Manhattan, I made my way to Chinatown to find one (walked there and back from W. 17th St... don't ask).

After perusing the offerings at Oriental Cultural Enterprises on Elizabeth St., I came away with the Hero 5020, a flighter-style C/C pen. You can see a small set of photos here, including a writing sample:http://s706.photobuc...rent=capped.jpg

Size-wise, the pen is very similar to my P51 aero. Capped and uncapped, it's a hair shorter. The barrel is also a slightly smaller diameter. The weight is about the same.

The pen body is fashioned entirely of finely-brushed stainless steel. In terms of fit and finish, it's almost all good. The cap snaps on with a nice audible click and is secure. However, the barrel doesn't sit straight in the cap; consequently, the pen has a little bit of wobble if you rotate the barrel in the cap. It's subtle and hard to notice unless you're looking for it. The pen posts securely but it's a tad top-heavy when posted.

There's a fairly tight arrow-style clip and a glossy black, rounded cap jewel. Around the rim of the cap is the stamped Hero name/logo under the clip. Around the back of the cap rim is "5020." The cap has an inner liner of white plastic.

It's a typical Chinese-made cartridge/converter pen with a typical twist-type converter. Nothing much remarkable about it. It works and the capacity is ordinary.

The steel nib is nail-stiff and is unmarked in terms of size. I'm guessing that Hero would call it medium, making it more or less a fine. Writing is not buttery-smooth but smooth enough. It's also a moderately wet writer. I've tried two or three different Noodler's inks in it and they all flow fine. The black section is comfortable for me and has slight flare at the end.

Having paid all of about $12.50 for this pen, I'd say it was good value for the money. At least one FleaBay seller has it for $7.50 shipped! At that price, it's a steal.

Thanks for taking the time to post this review. I've been curious about this pen.
It sounds pretty good for the low price. In the photos the grip section appears to be made of plastic. Is that true? If so does it feel solid enough? I'm just wondering if perhaps it's worth spending a little more to get something more durable.

Thanks for taking the time to post this review. I've been curious about this pen. It sounds pretty good for the low price. In the photos the grip section appears to be made of plastic. Is that true? If so does it feel solid enough? I'm just wondering if perhaps it's worth spending a little more to get something more durable.

I recently got a hero 5020 , I have found that if I don't use it for a couple of days it just doesn't start, suffers from nib dry out and hardstarting.

any of you have had similar experience ?

I just got one off eBay (seller ahai006) and had the same problem with it not starting if I didn't use it for a couple days. It took quite a bit of effort to get it going again, too (I kept dunking the nib back into the bottle of ink). I'm using Magic Color acrylic ink (which is a waterproof ink), so that might have something to do with it. It writes nicely otherwise. I only paid $7.50 for it (including shipping) so I can't complain too much. It feels like a nice solid pen in the hand.

I just got one off eBay (seller ahai006) and had the same problem with it not starting if I didn't use it for a couple days. It took quite a bit of effort to get it going again, too (I kept dunking the nib back into the bottle of ink). I'm using Magic Color acrylic ink (which is a waterproof ink), so that might have something to do with it. It writes nicely otherwise. I only paid $7.50 for it (including shipping) so I can't complain too much. It feels like a nice solid pen in the hand.

Magic Colour? Isn't that paint meant for air brushing and such? "No bueno" for fountain pens, I don't think... I guess if you're using it as a dip pen and cleaning out the feed properly afterwards though, you're good to go.

Magic Colour? Isn't that paint meant for air brushing and such? "No bueno" for fountain pens, I don't think... I guess if you're using it as a dip pen and cleaning out the feed properly afterwards though, you're good to go.

-- Moo
[/quote]

I've been using Magic Color in my fountain pens for years without the slightest problem. They used to be Rotring ArtistColor, but I believe they were bought out and renamed Magic Color. The colors are the same (though named differently). Yes, they're used in air brushes. It is an acrylic waterproof ink. Only use the transparent inks for fountain pens and not the opaque ones. The opaque ones probably would clog a fountain pen. I'll have to do an ink review of Magic Color some time. They're very permanent and I use them more than any other ink so far.

ETA: I forgot to add that the fountain pen I use the most with this ink is Rotring ArtPen 1.1 mm, but I've also used it in a cheap Sheaffer calligraphy fountain pen with excellent results, too. No clogging with either one.

I enjoyed this $8 pen. It has a solid feel, and the nib is smooth writing. For the price I thought it was excellent value... except for the problem I encountered. I think the plastic tube the cartridge or converter slips over is too soft and breaks too easily.

The grip section is brass with an enamel black paint over it. However inside the grip section is a plastic sleeve that finishes as a tube that the cartridge or converter is slipped snugly over. One day I found my lovely 5020 to have a loose converter rattling around inside the barrel. Somehow, perhaps due to pulling or twisting off the converter or some other reason, this feed tube had snapped off inside the mouth of the converter.
Anyone else have this problem? Maybe a little epoxy or crazy glue can fix it?

In the mean time, I've switched to my $6 Classic 240 which is a pretty solid every day use pen which was shipped with my Hero 5020.

Magic Colour? Isn't that paint meant for air brushing and such? "No bueno" for fountain pens, I don't think... I guess if you're using it as a dip pen and cleaning out the feed properly afterwards though, you're good to go.

-- Moo

I've been using Magic Color in my fountain pens for years without the slightest problem. They used to be Rotring ArtistColor, but I believe they were bought out and renamed Magic Color. The colors are the same (though named differently). Yes, they're used in air brushes. It is an acrylic waterproof ink. Only use the transparent inks for fountain pens and not the opaque ones. The opaque ones probably would clog a fountain pen. I'll have to do an ink review of Magic Color some time. They're very permanent and I use them more than any other ink so far.

ETA: I forgot to add that the fountain pen I use the most with this ink is Rotring ArtPen 1.1 mm, but I've also used it in a cheap Sheaffer calligraphy fountain pen with excellent results, too. No clogging with either one.

Thanks for the review. I am looking for a low cost stainless FP and I was comparing the Hero 5020 and the Hero 704. They look similar and the specs (length, weight, etc.) are either the same or very close. The 704 costs about $2 more on EvilBay but the reviews seem to indicate that the 704 is somewhat better pen. Pictures are of the 704 and the 5020. The 704 is the top pen. Comments welcome.

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